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Electoral boundaries commission returns to Kenora for second round of consultation

KATHLEEN CHARLEBOIS

Miner and News

Friday, July 14, 2017
11:02:18 EDT AM

Far North Electoral Boundaries Commission Chair Joyce Pelletier goes over the criteria that had to be addressed in their recommendations at the second Kenora consultation at the Clarion Lakeside Inn on Tuesday, July 11. The commission's preliminary report, released July 10, recommended that two new ridings be created in the current Kenora-Rainy River and Timmins-James Bay ridings.
KATHLEEN CHARLEBOIS/DAILY MINER AND NEWS

Members of the public got a clearer idea of what the new provincial ridings might look like and had the opportunity to voice their thoughts about it.

The Far North Electoral Boundaries Commission returned to Kenora for a second round of public input regarding the creation of two new electoral districts in northern Ontario, held at the Clarion Lakeside Inn on Tuesday, July 11.

The preliminary report, released on Monday, July 10, recommends the creation of two new ridings in the north. The new Kenora-Rainy River district makes up the southern portion of the current electoral district and includes the municipalities of Kenora, Dryden, Fort Frances and Rainy River. The riding encompasses a population of 53,010, 13 per cent of whom are Indigenous.

The recommended new northern riding would be named Kiiwetinong and include the municipalities of Red Lake and Sioux Lookout, the First Nation communities of Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong all the way to Fort Severn on the shores of Hudson’s Bay. The riding would represent 32,784 people, 60 per cent of whom are Indigenous.

The report also recommends creating a separate riding for the city of Timmins and a northern riding of Mushkegowuk in the current riding of Timmins-James Bay.

Commission chair Joyce Pelletier was joined by Chief Electoral Officer of Ontario Greg Essensa. Law professor Michael Pal was present over the phone. Pelletier went over the different criteria the commission is bound to consider when making their recommendations for the new ridings. Due to the size and scale of the area as well as the isolation of some communities, voter parity - “the constitutional principal that individuals should have votes of roughly equal value” according to the report - would be difficult to achieve, she said.

With that in mind, the commission made their recommendations based on ensuring effective representation and making the ridings more geographically manageable. Pelletier said she also heard the need for better Indigenous representation at every consultation the commission held.

Essensa said there are still the possibility of changes to the recommendations, but he’s confident that they balance all the required criteria from the Legislative Assembly and the constitution.

“I’m quite hopeful that they adopt these recommendations,” he said.

The commission also held consultations in Grassy Narrows, where Pelletier said there was a strong desire for the community to be in a majority Indigenous riding, and the municipalities of Hearst and Timmins.

The final report will be submitted to the Attorney General of Ontario on or before Aug. 1.